On Wednesday 22nd April, CFA at NCAD hosted a vibrant and thought-provoking lunchtime session that brought together creativity, sustainability, and community engagement. The event featured two speakers—alumni of the Sustainable Exhibition Making programme—who shared insightful reflections on their climate-responsive creative practices. Through their work, they demonstrated how artistic approaches can play a meaningful role in raising environmental awareness and inspiring action.

The session also included an introduction to Ireland’s Queer Shed network, sparking an open and engaging discussion around care, inclusivity, and the importance of shared creative spaces. Attendees explored the potential for establishing a Student Queer Shed at NCAD—envisioning a welcoming, collaborative environment grounded in mutual support and learning.

The event concluded with a planting action, offering participants a hands-on opportunity to connect with the themes of sustainability and collective responsibility in a tangible way.

Cristina Nicotra
Cristina is an artist and curator who will speak to her project Entangled Life — a year-long programme at Pallas Projectssupported by Community Foundation Ireland, exploring climate, community and ecological interdependence through monthly talks, workshops, artistic interventions and a culminating exhibition.

Shane Malone-Murphy
Shane is an artist who examines the histories of land use and ownership through the lens of grief. He will speak to the design and implementation of a climate sustainability policy for a contemporary art space, Kunstverein Aughrim.

Student Queer Shed at NCAD with Aoife Hammond
Following the talks, we will open a conversation with Aoife Hammond about establishing a Student Queer Shed at NCAD — a space for making, growing and community-building inspired by Ireland’s growing network of Queer Sheds. Inspired by the successful Men’s Sheds, and more recently Women’s Sheds movements, Queer Sheds is a community-based initiative aimed at creating a new type of an inclusive, non-judgmental, and safe environment where LGBTQ+ people can connect, engage, co-create, share and support each other.

Planting Action — NCAD Field Community Tree Nursery 
The event will conclude with a collective planting action in the NCAD Field, where participants will begin establishing a community tree nursery. Native trees generously donated by Trees on the Land and Reforest Nation will be planted together. This planting connects to a growing network of institutional climate partnerships, including IADT’s Glade Project, and reflects NCAD’s deepening commitment to ecological practice and climate action across its campus and community.

These events were curated by Seoidín O’Sullivan and supported by L’Internationale Climate Assembly. L’Internationale, a European confederation of museums, universities and arts organisations, are marking Earth Day with a call to actionand a statement of support to our friends, allies and comrades from the global climate movement.